SmartPulse -- our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership -- tracks feedback from more than 220,000 business leaders. We run the poll question each week in our newsletter.

When is the last time you dealt with a serious medical issue for yourself?

Never. I'm fit as a fiddle.: 26%

In the past 10 years.: 19%

In the past 5 years.: 20%

In the past year.: 17%

I'm dealing with one right now.: 18%

An apple a day. Over one third of you have dealt with, or are dealing with, a serious medical issue in the last 12 months. That’s a big number. Sometimes these things surprise us out of nowhere. Other times they could be caught earlier and prevented. The question to all of you is when is the last time you saw your doctor for a check-up? Are you taking care of yourself in terms of diet, exercise, sleep and stress management? If the answer is you haven’t seen a doctor, and you’re not taking care of yourself, don’t be surprised when you end up in these statistics. As someone who has had several major health events in recent years, starting at the age of 43, I can’t emphasize enough the need to take care of yourself if you aspire to lead and take care of your team. See your doctor. Eat some apples. Take care of yourself.